Search - Ravi Shankar :: Concert for Peace

Outstanding recording

08/13/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An outstanding live recording from a concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Moment Records (Zakir Hussain's own label). The two CD set contains 3 ragas with Ravi Shankar in his 74th year playing better than ever with Zakir Hussain, tabla, and a sarodist playing duets. CD #1 Contains two rags; Raga Jait & Kirwani; CD #2 contains one rag Misra Khamaj lasting 55 minutes. A total of almost 2 hours of superb Indian music. A must for a music lovers."

Musical Mastery Personified (x 2)

Brent A. Anthonisen | Alpharetta, GA, USA | 01/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most people who know a fair amount about the Beatles in general (and the late, great George Harrison in particular) are at least somewhat familiar with the name of Ravi Shankar...some who appreciate the level of mastery that is obtainable by dedicating one's life to an art may also be familiar with the degree of respect afforded Pandit Shankar as a result of his own level of skill reached with the sitar of Northern India.
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If you have ever been curious as to how that level of mastery translates into performance, I really don't think you'll find a better example than that recorded on this CD at the Royal Albert Hall (the man was older than Johnny Cash at the time this recording made...stunning proficiency that hasn't been tempered in the least by the advancing years). Pandit Shankar's playing is as mesmerizing as ever, and he is amply backed by Partho Sarathy on Sarod and the absolutely unbelievable tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussein (the son of Shankar's former tabla accompaniest Alla Rakha).
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The drawback I've noticed about the CD is that these two sets were recorded at a very low volume...so you'll really need to crank it in order to best appreciate the performance.
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The main attraction for this CD above all other Ravi Shankar CD's I own is the break at roughly 30 minutes of "Raga Misra Khammaj" on Disc 2 wherein Zakir Hussein solos with a skill that scarcely seems human (divine is far closer to the truth)...it is difficult to believe that the human body is capable of such action in such a precise manner. If you appreciate musical talent, regardless of ethnic boundaries, I don't believe you'll be disappointed with this live set...as Pandit Shankar hands over the sitar to his more-than-able heir Anoushka, is is possible that we won't soon see the like of this arrangement of talent on the same stage again. It is truly to be savored on this CD."

For the Ravi Shankar Collector...Not 1st Time Buyer

M.Burt | DC | 03/16/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love Ravi Shankar. I don't completely love this recording. I feel that it lacks some of the emotional complexity I find in ALL of his other recordings. The moments that it has going for it, other recordings do better. For exciting, vibrant live sitar playing, I like "Live at the Monterey Pop Festival." For serious depth and contemplation, I like "Sound of the Sitar." This concert was a little too middle-of-the-road for my taste. He doesn't seem to be reaching for something quite as hard as in other recordings. I will admit that I tend to prefer his earlier releases (when he was younger.) Perhaps the changes in style I detect are a function of maturity (that I haven't quite grasped yet.) I am still glad to have it in my collection, but would not recommend it as an introduction to Ravi Shankar's gifts."